The Fifth Annual RVA Environmental Film Festival is scheduled to be held the first week of February (Feb. 2-8).

The Enrichmond Foundation, Falls of the James Group - Sierra Club, Capital Region Land Conservancy, and EarthCraft Virginia have collaborated on this year's festival, choosing many films designed to raise awareness of environmental issues, according to a release. As with last year, all of the festival’s events are free and open to the public.

The full week’s schedule has not officially been released, but here are a few highlights:

Continuing the tradition and by popular demand, the festival will include a children’s portion at the Byrd Theater, starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 7. It will begin with The Lorax, hopefully inspiring some new environmentalists and re-igniting the hope of older ones. At 10:30 a.m., there will be a screening of Disney’s Bears, a documentary that follows an Alaskan bear family as its young cubs are taught life's most important lessons. Following Bears, there will be a short animated feature called “The Ballad of Island Holland House” and another short film entitled “Forest Man,” the story of Jadav Payeng, an Indian man who single-handedly planted nearly 1400 acres of forest to save his island, Majuli.

As part of the ongoing fundraising, on Monday, Jan. 12, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Baker’s Crust in Carytown is having RVA Environmental Film Festival Fundraising Night. Mention to your waiter/waitress that you are there to support the festival and Baker’s Crust will donate 15 percent of the sales to the festival, dine in or take out. Baker’s Crust – Carytown is located at 3553 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221.

Festival organizers have extended the festival to a whole week for 2015 and will include venues all over the area, including evenings at the University of Richmond, the VCU Grace Street Theater, Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Science Museum of Virginia, as well as Richmond and Henrico public libraries. Many of the films are not only new but area premieres.

Organizers note that this free film festival would not be possible without sponsors like the Carillon Civic Association, James River Association, Slow Food RVA, Sunflower Solar, Soulshift Journeys, Terrapin Beer Company and Sierra Club Foundation.

More information about other films, guests and speakers, and specific schedules for each day will be made available as the event becomes nearer. For more information on the Festival, including sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, visit www.rvaenvironmentalfilmfestival.com.